A High-Resolution Range Profile Estimation Method Based on Ofdm Communication Signals

High-resolution range profile (HRRP) has been recognized as a crucial criterion for target classification because it reveals the distribution of the radar cross section and captures the structural and physical features. Traditional methods for estimating the HRRP rely on specific radar waveforms, such as linear frequency modulation signals. However, they are not suitable for integrated sensing and communication systems. To deal with this issue, in this paper, we investigate the HRRP estimation by exploring the orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) based communication signals. In particular, considering the high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) problem inherent in OFDM, we propose an HRRP estimation method based on the discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) waveform, which maintains reliable communication performance in multipath scenarios of high resolution radar detection, while exhibits low PAPR characteristic that minimizes the impact of various nonlinear effects. To estimate the HRRP, we first propose a preprocessing algorithm on the radar echoes of the transmitted DFT-S-OFDM signal, transforming them into a solvable form. Based upon the preprocessed signal, we further propose two HRRP estimation algorithms by applying the orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm and the multiple signal classification algorithm, respectively. Simulation results indicate that the proposed HRRP estimation method based on DFT-S-OFDM achieves a significant performance improvement compared to the equivalent OFDM-based method under the influence of nonlinear factors.